Coming Home
by Kristen3
Summary: On the way back from the fateful trip to Reno, Niles thinks about his past and future with Daphne. One-shot.


Just before the stoplight turned green, Niles stole a glance at the woman beside him. Daphne had apparently fallen asleep. He considered stopping somewhere so she could sleep in a bed, but decided against it. There would be enough questions when they got back to Seattle as it was. No need to further complicate things.

When the light changed, Niles stepped on the gas. He was determined to get his new wife home safely. He could hardly believe that less than 48 hours ago, she had told him she wanted to marry him right away. Daphne had driven most of the way from Seattle to Reno, so it was only fair that he take over now. He wanted so much to hold her, but he knew this was neither the time, nor the place. Besides, there would be plenty of time for that later.

Niles thought about his patients. Many of them were trapped in bad marriages, or involved in extra-marital affairs. It seemed as though no one believed in fidelity these days. Of course, Niles knew all too well that not all marriages are happy. But he couldn't be a pessimist anymore. For Daphne wasn't just his wife. She was his best friend, the person he'd confided in and cherished for almost a decade now. When he thought back to that fateful night on the balcony, and their later reunion in the Winnebago, it seemed as if his life had only just begun. Before that, he'd been drifting along, with only a fantasy to hold on to. Now the fantasy was real. No more lonely nights spent agonizing over missed chances with Daphne.

He sighed. At first, he had planned on taking his time on the way back. After all, the urgency of wanting to be married had now been taken care of. But suddenly, he was eager to get back to the Montana. He smiled as he saw the sign indicating he'd just entered Washington State.

Beside him, Daphne stirred. "Are we home yet?" Niles could tell by her voice that she was still half-asleep.

"Not yet, my love. But soon. You can go back to sleep if you want."

Daphne smiled at him. A second later, her eyes were closed once more.

Niles' heart warmed. It was clear she trusted him completely. It was just one more thing to love about her, along with the dozens he already knew about. He often thought that their unusual path to romance had its benefits. One of them being the fact that they knew each other inside out. With Daphne, everything had been so much easier than it ever was with either Maris or Mel. Looking back on it now, Niles wondered how he'd ever stayed married to either of them as long as he had. But he could not start out this new chapter of his life by beating himself up over past mistakes. They had talked about their respective romantic pasts and decided none of it mattered anymore. Maris, Mel, and Donny were no longer a part of their lives.

Soon Niles grew tired of the deafening silence inside his Mercedes. He turned on the radio, making sure to put the volume on low so as not to wake Daphne. A familiar classical piece played. This was one of Niles' favorite stations. But after a few bars, he did something that might have been unheard of just a few years ago: he changed to a pop station. They were playing an Elton John song. Niles smiled, remembering when Daphne had dressed up as him for a costume party at Frasier's. And few weeks later, he'd presented her with tickets to a concert. The memory of her kiss that night stayed with him.

Daphne often talked about her background, growing up in Manchester with very little money to spare. She said that living with Frasier and being exposed to gourmet food and wine was a whole new world for her. But Niles knew that it was really he who was living in a new world. For Daphne had introduced him to just as many things as he and his brother had introduced her. Because of her, he had a sense of joy and hope that he'd never known before. Even love songs on the radio were becoming enjoyable. It was remarkable how often the lyrics seemed to apply to his relationship with Daphne.

Niles continued driving and soon found himself entering Seattle. He increased his speed a bit, now even more anxious to reach home. In what felt like no time at all, he had reached the Montana's parking lot. Once the car was safely in park, he turned off the engine and leaned over, kissing Daphne awake.

"We're home, my love."

Daphne sighed contentedly. "Thanks for letting me sleep. I don't know why I was so bloody tired all of a sudden. I hope it wasn't too lonely for you."

Niles smiled. "I could never be lonely when the love of my life is right here beside me."

"I love you," Daphne said, caressing his cheek.

Niles smiled back, feeling his heart swell with love for her. "Let's get these bags upstairs so you can sleep somewhere more comfortable."

Daphne's smile went from sweet and loving to something far more mischievous. "Actually, I think I've gotten me second wind. We've had our wedding, so I think it's time we began our honeymoon."

Niles kissed her. "I love that idea."

They gathered their things and prepared to make their way into the building. As Niles made sure the car was emptied and locked up, he thought about what he and Daphne had done. Of course, they would need to explain things to Frasier and his father, not to mention Roz. But all of that could wait, because tonight, the only thing that mattered was that Daphne was now finally his.

He wondered if their family and friends would be disappointed that they had run off without even saying a word to anyone. If so, there was nothing that could be done about it now. Whatever tomorrow held, he was certain of one thing: Daphne would be by his side. Just as she would be for the rest of his life.

**The End**


End file.
